Guide for straw-braid-sewing machines



May 26, 1925. 1,538,921

R. BECKER GUIDE FOR STRAW BRAID SEWING MACHINES Filed May 2. 1924 WITNESES I I ATTORNEY May 26, lfiratiq are Jr .n-nnonrn BECKER, or NORTH rnarn-mnnn, New ans-sitar, .assrenon "To ans. sl-mesa nannnacrnnrne content, or new JnnsnY.

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Application filed May 2,

To all whom it may, concern.

Be it known that I, Ronom'jirr Bizoiinn, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Plaintield, in the county of Somerset and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guides for Straw-Braid Sew'ing hfiachines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to straw-braid sewing machines, more particularly of the type adapted for making a hat by sewing a long length of strawbraid into spiral form, the edges of each convolution of the braid being joined in abutted relation to the respective adjacent edges of adjacent convolutio'ns by stitches which cross and rccross the lines of division between said abutted edges.

Commercial straw-braid, such as is customarily used for this work, is not of uniform width, and an object of the invention is to provide a guide which will nicely control the braid strip as it passes to the sewing point and automatically and accurately guide one edge of the braid along a predetermined center line or line of division between the previously sewed braid and the portion of the braid entering the machine. Another object of the invention is to so construct the guiding mechanism that it or certain of its parts may be temporarily shifted out of normal operative position to enable the usual starting button or central portion of the hat to be sewed.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a strawbraid sewing machine fitted with a guide e1nbodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front end elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the machine bed. Fig. 1 is abottom plan view, partly in section, of an element of the guide structure and Fig. 5 is a disassembled perspective view of the parts shown in Fig. 4.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, 1 represents the bed and 2 the free end of the bracket-arm of a straw-braid sewing machine. Mounted in the bed 1 are. the usual rotary looper 3 and feed-dog 1, which cooperate. respectively, with the reciprocating and laterally vibrating needle 5 and presser-foot 6. The worksupport T is of 1924. Serial No. v i-0, 199.

the usual pl-ate-llil c form and includes the forwardly and downwardly curved portion 8 terminating in the vertical front wall 9.

Held in the groove 10 in the front wall 9 of the work-support bythe spring 11 is the pivot :pin 12 which carries the thin dividing blade 1'3 which is carved 'edgewise to fit the curved portion 8 of the worlosupport and at its upper end is received in and steadied by the slot 14 in the toe end of the presserfoot 6. The blade 13 lies substantially in a plane bisectingthe path of vibration of the needle 5, as shown in Fig. 3.

Cooperating with the dividing blade is a guide comprising the usual adjustable support 15 on which is hinged at 16 the arm 17 carrying at its free end the guide-head 18.

Mounted 'onthe face 19 of the guide-head 18 by'means of the shoulder screw 20 are the plate spring member 21 and pressermember 22. The presser-member is formed with a hole 23 which is loosely entered by the smooth shank portion 24 of the shoulder screw 20. A spiral spring 25 is anchored at its outer end to the presser-member 22 and at its inner end is clamped, together with the plate-spring 21, to the face 19 of the guide-head 18 by the shoulder of the screw 20. The spring 21 is preferably bent to stand out from the face of the guide-head 1.8, as shown in Figs. 3 and 1.

The strip of braid entering the machine is held in engagement with one side face of the dividing blade by means of the plate spring 21, which will yield to inequalities in the width of the braid. The pressermember 22 assists in straightening out the braid and holds the braid flat upon the work-support in advance of the needle 5. It. also assists the member-s13 and 21 in guiding the braid to the needle. Quick ad jnstment oi the guide 21 may be effected by the thumb-nut 26 which is connected through the usual rack-and-pinion 27 to the guide-support '15, as shown for example in the patent to Wales, No. 668,240, of Feb. 19, 1901.

When sewing the central portion or starting button of a hat, the sewing must be done on a small radius of curvature and, to permit this, the guide-arm 17 may be swung to dotted line position, Fig. 1, and the dividing blade 13 shifted to dotted line position, Fi

2. It will be observed that the pivot pin 12 for the dividing blade 13 is formed with a flat 28 against which the spring 11 presses to resiliently hold said blade in working position. The arm 17 and guide-head 18 are held in working position by means of the round-nosed spring-pressed detent pin 29, which is slidably mounted in the lug 30 carried by the guide-support 15.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is 1. In a straw-braid sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism including a laterally vibrating needle, of a dividing blade disposed in a vertical plane substantially bisecting the path of vibration of said needle, and yielding means for holding one edge of a strip of braid of variable width continuously in engagement with said dividing blade.

2. In a straw-braid sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism including a laterally vibrating needle, of a dividing blade disposed in a vertical plane substantially bisecting the path of vibration of said needle, yielding means for holding one edge of a strip of braid of variable width continuously in engagement with said dividing blade, and a spring-pressed presser in advance of said needle and beand at its lower end having a flattened pivot pin disposed in said groove, and a leaf spring arranged to press upon the flattened portion of said pivot pin to resiliently hold said dividing blade in working position.

i. A straw-braid guide comprising a dividing blade, an adjustable guide-support, a guide-head carried by said support and formed with a flattened face, and a plate spring secured fiatwise upon said face and having an operative portion spaced from said face.

5. A straw-braid guide comprising a dividing blade, an adjustable guide-support, a guide-head carried by said support and formed with a flattened face, and platespring and presser-members secured to said face.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

RUDOLPH BECKER; 

